


Bad Neighbours

by TheGreenPrism



Category: Falling Kingdoms Series - Morgan Rhodes
Genre: F/M, Prompt Fic
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2017-07-13
Updated: 2017-07-13
Packaged: 2018-12-01 16:19:53
Rating: Not Rated
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,748
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11490090
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/TheGreenPrism/pseuds/TheGreenPrism
Summary: prompt request on tumblr to have a note war between Magnus and Cleo, I really had fun writing this although I found it rather difficult to set these two in a modern setting. I hope i did well.





	Bad Neighbours

Magnus woke up by the sound of loud music. Spice Girls to be exact. It wasn’t his alarm clock. He hated getting up early, he was a night person after all.

_If you wanna be my lover_.

The university student grunted and attempted to muffle the loud music by covering his head with his blanket. Four months. It had only been four months and still he held a grudge against one of his apartment neighbours. More specifically the one he shared the same floor with.

“Who the bloody hell gets up this early in the weekend?” he grunted softly. Maybe if he waited until the end of the song, he would get his silence back. The song ended and next thing Magnus heard was _Walking on Sunshine_.

“Ah! No one is that happy in the morning!’ he wanted to yell. But it was more of an angry whisper. He dragged himself out of bed knowing that if he tried to sleep through the music, his attempts would surely fail. Coffee didn’t help nor did the theme song of F.R.I.E.N.D.S. He leaned his head on the counter of his kitchen still exhausted from the long night he’d spent to finish his commissions to pay off his rent. Magnus didn’t study art, his father wouldn’t let him. But hey, the extra money came in handy. So he kept drawing.

_Mi Mi Mi_ from Serebro, was the final drop. Magnus angrily putt on his clothes and wanted to burst out of his apartment to her door when something stopped him. Ugh, going over there meant social interaction. Magnus was a horrible mess and that reminded him of something. For some strange, reason he always got nervous around his neighbour. Not that he showed it. On the outside, he kept his cool, but internally he was screaming. He still couldn’t figure out what it was about Cleiona that made him act that way. However, it didn’t matter. He avoided her either way. Perhaps there was a way to get his message through without having to make eye contact or even talk to her.

His eyes darted to the pile of notebooks on his table. He always bought too many of those, but he kept convincing himself he needed them for some reason. He grabbed one and wrote down the following:

_“Could you turn down your music?_

He wanted to keep it with that but that was until the volume grew louder and the theme music of _Supernatural_ by Kansas started playing. _Please, tell me she’s kidding._ He thought.

_Or at least get a better taste in music. Other people live here too.”_

_Appartement 7B_

He refused to write down his name. She knew him nonetheless. Magnus stormed out with his backpack, taped the note to her door and decided to go for another coffee this time at his favourite coffee shop.

Late in the afternoon, he returned with a few new supplies for his studio and a few bottles of booze to get him through this depressing weekend when he noticed the note on her door was gone. Instead, there was a new one. On his door.

_“I’m sorry my music bothers you, X, Maybe if you get out more (with the friends you don’t have), you would know what good music sounds like ;)"_

_Cleo <3_

Magnus felt his blood boil and his heartbeat accelerate at a worrying tempo. It seemed like Cleiona was quickly offended by the fact he’d insulted her taste in music. Was it a touchy subject or was she just one of those persons who couldn’t stand a little joke?

He took a few seconds to study the note on the yellow paper. Her handwriting was terrible and she tried to annoy him by adding cute emoticons and a little heart near her name. He didn’t like to admit it but it worked. But the student had learned to play this game as well. He studied law, so he knew how to agitate certain people in different ways. He went inside and took his notebook.

_“No thank you. I’ve had my fair share of warnings about partying by seeing you coming home every week at_ 3am _. I prefer the safe comfort of my own home.”_

_Damora_

On one hand, he wanted to keep it polite. On the other hand, she made this a fight. He might as well finish it for them. He added a drawing to the paper. In a quick sketch, he drew the blond Princes coming home as a mess. Was it too much?

His thoughts were interrupted by the sound of a TV playing. It wasn’t his. Through the walls, he could clearly hear his neighbour watching  _Doctor Who._ He felt his eye twitch at the sound of the Daleks. She knew the walls were thin. She knew he could hear everything. And every minute passing by, he swore he could hear the volume grow louder. She was doing this on purpose. This wasn’t just a fight. She was making this a war, making sure he got the message not to challenge her. Yet, Magnus still taped the new note to her door.

* * *

 

 

Cleo took out her earbuds while she climbed up the stairs of her apartment. Her grumpy neighbour probably got the message by now. First, her music taste wasn’t that bad, she was doing him a favour by playing it. Besides, she’d seen him. People like him needed music like this in the morning to wake them up.  It wasn’t like she was breaking the rules. She was allowed to make noise at that time of the day. It wasn’t her fault he stayed up late.

She grabbed her keys and wanted to open her door until she saw the new note taped on the wood. She dropped her keys. He was joking, right? He couldn’t be serious. “Oh, we’re doing this, aren’t we?”

_That coward doesn’t come out of his apartment unless he can steal my mail._ She wasn’t going to give in that easily. She took it off her door and wanted to tear it. Instead, she stared at the drawing. It was good, too good and that made her pissed. Oh, so he’s an artist, great. Just great.

She slammed her door shut and let out an angry groan. Damora was starting to push her buttons, she had no clue how he did it. That emo skunk bag almost never left his apartment, when she did see him he always looked like he’d just woken up from an 18 hour nap and started mumbling something about essays or someone reposting something. People had worse things to worry about. Like Aron who had been stalking her at work.

The latter she pushed to the back of her mind. She could worry about that later. The blonde grabbed some remaining scrap paper from her desk and readied herself for her revenge. Because Cleo could play dirty, she noticed details.

_“Of course! Because drinking yourself hammered with Paelsian wine is so much better. Maybe ease down on the Elli Goulding karaoke next time. Xxx ”_

_Cleo <3_

* * *

 

 

He started to become fond of the little heart she drew next to her name. Only, that was as far as it went.

“That was one time.” Magnus bitterly threw the paper in the trash. One weekend, ONE, he had gone through a bad break-up and maybe a few bottles of Paelsian wine while loudly (and drunkenly) singing love songs by Goulding. He woke up next day with three empty bottles and two empty buckets of Ben& Jerry’s ice cream. One mistake he would never make again. But how did she know he drank that specific wine? He wasn’t going to leave it with this. Within seconds he was sketching on the notebook again.

_“Once, once. I do not make the same mistake twice, Princess. Unlike other people.”_

_Magnus_

He wanted to draw something devious but decided not to. He’d paid close attention to Cleo these last months, he knew this would be enough to set something off.

He taped it up and headed back inside. He tied up his hair and got in comfortable clothing wearing only boxers, sweatpants and a black hoodie with red roses on the sleeves. He hated his sister sometimes for her gifts, but the hoodie was cozy and he wasn’t going outside anytime soon. He took out his phone and dialed the closest pizza place.

He received the usual greeting by a guy of his age. Magnus snickered. “Dude, let me stop you there, you know the address.” He interrupted Jonas.

“Magnus?! It’s been a while since you ordered.”

“Uni is getting to me, man. Just get me pizza of whatever with a few bottles of your wine.” He mumbled. He just needed pizza. No specific topping, just... pizza. 

“Eh, maybe lay off on the wine.”

“Agallon.” Magnus threatened.

“Fine. Two pizzas and Paelsian wine?”

_No, one._ Perhaps it was the exhaustion or the faint presence of his anxiety, but Magnus didn’t correct him. “Yeah, that’s fine.” He tiredly rubbed his eyes.

“I’ll be there in twenty minutes.”

The student dropped his phone on his couch, leaned his head back and closed his eyes. _Okay, two papers to go._ He sighed. He rather worked further on his art. Not that he was any good.

His thoughts were interrupted by someone rapidly knocking on his door. _What the-?_ Agallon was fast, but not that fast.

He opened the door to find his neighbour holding his note in a clenched fist. _Shit_. An alarm went off in his head. Did he go too far?

* * *

 

 

For a moment, she eyed him with awe. She never got used to that scar whenever she saw him. Actually, he always caught her eye when he walked into the apartment building. Strangely, not in a bad way. “You need to help me.”

Magnus staggered. “Excuse me?” Not the reaction he’d expected.

Cleo looked like she was panicking. “There is a guy who has been on my tail for weeks now and he doesn’t get the hint. He knows where I live!”

“And you want _my_ help? Why? How?”

“I don’t know! You seem like someone who scares people away.”

He wanted to reply with the usual sarcasm but he was interrupted by a voice coming from downstairs. “Thanks for letting me in.”

His beautiful neighbour grabbed him by his hoodie and threatened him. “I’m sorry, okay!” she spitt out through gritted teeth. She wasn’t planning on apologizing at first but at this moment Damora was her last hope. “I need your help.”

“What do I get in return?”

The blonde glared at him. Her blue eyes fiercely locking on his. “My Netflix password.”

Magnus frowned. _Interesting bargain_. “You need me to get rid of him?”

Cleo nodded. _For good._  

“Get in.” he pulled her inside, slammed the door shut and peeked through the peep-hole until he noticed a young good-looking man pushing the bell to Cleo’s apartment. The dude even looked like a dick.

“Where in the bloody hell did that asshole get the idea to-?” he noticed his neighbour’s nervous behaviour when he shot a look back at her. “Oh, don’t tell me he actually got a chance with you.”

She avoided his gaze and jumped when Magnus’ bell suddenly sounded.

“Oh please, tell me he’s kidding.” _Don’t tell me he’s standing at my door._

Another bell.

“He’s not.” The blonde took a step back. “He’s not easily convinced, Magnus.” She’d tried. Aron was persistent.

It felt strange hearing her say his name. “Get behind the door.” Magnus suddenly demanded. He quickly rushed to his bathroom to switch the light on.

Cleo raised an eyebrow and slowly stepped to the instructed place.

“Stay out of sight.” He instructed her throwing her his hoodie. He loosened his hair and bare-chested walked over to his door. He remarked her confused look. “Just let me handle this.” He winked. He didn’t want to get into a discussion with this dude. If Cleo couldn't get the message through, he needed another approach. Set a scene. He’d seen Cleo do it often when her food arrived late.

Cleo made sure she stayed out of Aron’s sight and eagerly watched the scene.

Magnus leaned against the door opening and shot a cocky grin at the new visitor. “Can I help you?”

Aron arrogantly sniffed, crossed his arms and raised his eyebrows at him. “Yeah, do you know if your neighbour’s home? I have to ask her something.”

_He even sounds like a dick._ “Cleiona? She’s in the bathroom.” He pointed towards the room behind him where he’d turned on the lights

His comment seemed to spark something unpleasant. Aron didn’t seem to believe him at first but seemed more disturbed about the fact Magnus was shirtless and Cleo was in his apartment instead of her own. 

“You know if you need her, you’re going to have to wait. She’s going to be busy tonight.”

“With what?”

Magnus wanted to finish with the perfect comment when Jonas came up the stairs with two pizzas and a bottle of wine.

The pizzaboy noticed he’d interrupted something and awkwardly approached Magnus handing over his order. “Two Hawaiian pizzas, that’s twenty-seven.”

The law student bitterly grabbed the pizzas ( _ugh pineapple on pizza, WTH Agallon?_ ) and wanted to get his wallet when Cleo suddenly appeared next to him in the doorway wearing his hoodie…and one of his boxers. Two thoughts suddenly crossed his mind: 1. He always wanted to see her in those specific clothes. 2. If Cleo went in on something, she really got into character.

“Are you wearing my clothes?”

“They’re comfy.” She winked at him with a devious smile. She quickly understood his plan. So why not play along? “Oh, Hawaiian. Those are the best. Let me get it.” She handed Jonas the money and took the bottle. “Thanks Jonas.”

Agallon couldn’t contain his grin. “Okay, two pizzas. You two…have fun.” He slowly backed away and rushed down the stairs snickering not wanting to be a part of the whole drama.

Cleo didn’t even shoot Magnus a strange look when she took over the two pizzas and carried them to the kitchen.

_Note to self: Princess over here likes pineapple on pizza._ Magnus awed her but was interrupted by Aron coughing obnoxiously, still at his door. _You’re still here?_ He thought.

“Can I talk to her?”

“No.” Beside the rising heath in specific parts of his body, this was still an act he meant to keep up. He shut the door before Aron could say anything more. He would get the hint eventually.

Before Damora could say anything, she interrupted him. “You set the scene, I simply followed.”

Magnus let out a small chuckle and approached her. “Am I getting those back?”

“I’ll wash them, no worries.” She quickly looked away from him and wondered around his small studio. “I never knew you drew.” To be honest, she didn’t know much about him. Unfortunately, he mostly avoided her in the halfway. Perhaps a small reason for her loud behaviour was to draw him out. Yet, he still persisted on messaging through notes. She noticed he’d been staring at her while she’d drifted away in her thoughts. “Can you do me a favour? If Aron comes by again, can I count on your help?”

Magnus leaned on the back of his couch. “If you keep it down with the music,-“

“Alright, but then I get a few glasses from that wine and you stop stealing my mail.”

“First of, Nerissa from 4A steals you mail, not me. And I still don’t have your password.” He insisted.

That sounded fair. Cleo stretched out her hand to him. “Truce?”

Her companion let out a huff and showed a tired smile. “Truce.” He took her hand and shook it. For a few seconds, the warm contact felt rather pleasant.

The blonde showed a foxy grin in return. “Are you seriously going to eat those two pizzas by yourself?”

Magnus quickly caught on her hint. “I may need some help. Agallon brought me Hawaiian.”

Cleo tiptoed to his small TV and entered her password. She never gave her password to anyone, not even Nic. But if she would later regret it, she could always change it. This evening showed no signs of ending well. Yet, Cleo shrugged it off. She and Damora would burn that bridge when they got to it.

**Author's Note:**

> I got a little off track near the end but I hoped you enjoyed it ;)


End file.
